Nepal is one of the tea producing countries in the world and is known for its broad range of quality teas. We spoke with Rijan Ojha, who works for Agriterra in Nepal. He is responsible for several tea gardens in the Himalayan country. ” The weather and different altitudes in Nepal are very favorable for tea.”
What is the tea like in Nepal?
The tea in Nepal ranges from medium quality to specialty tea. Geographically, we have three belts in Nepal: The lower range is called the Terai region, in the middle we have the Hilly region, and the upper range is called the Mountainous region. The tea is planted on both the Terai and Hilly region. The tea from the Terai region is used for CTC tea production (Central Tea Cooperative Federation). On the Hilly region there is a wide range in altitudes so from 200 meters and above we produce specialty tea, and from about 1000 to 2000 meters we produce a medium range of orthodox tea.
What sort of effect does the altitude have on the tea?
To begin, there is an effect on the plantation itself. The tea on the lower region is one type of plant and the tea in the higher ranges is another. There is also a variation in the climate, so you can feel the differences in the tea from the lower to the higher regions. I think this is due to the temperature because the weather in Nepal is very favorable for tea. We don’t have many cloudy and foggy days, so if there is chilly weather in the morning and evening we’ll still have a nice sun in the daytime, and that really influences the quality of the tea.
What is the best tea from Nepal in your opinion?
I prefer strong tea, a strong liquor, so I like the golden tea, and I like green tea to some extent. I prefer the golden tea because it has a strong liquor and there is an aftertaste for 15 to 20 minutes after drinking the tea. The flavor stays as if you are eating honey for example, so the flavor from the tea is really good and long-lasting.
Where is the Golden Tea Produced?
Golden tea is produced from about 2000 meters and we are working with the Tinjure Tea cooperative, that produces the golden tea at around 2500 meters.
